Window scupper arrangement



June 23, 1959 T. HAUCK 2,891,290

WINDOW SCUPPER ARRANGEMENT Filed July 16, 1957 VII/II;

:1] III ///I/ w INVENTOR TAEWDO/PE #4061? BY @lir, H0144} ATTORNEYSUnited States Patent 2,891,290 WINDOW SCUPPER ARRANGEMENT TheodoreHauck, Amityville, N.Y., assiguor to General Bronze Corporation, GardenCity, N.Y. Application July 16, 1957, Serial No. 672,217

3 Claims. (Cl. 20-70) permit a continuous "draining regardless of windpressure and yet will not permit the moisture to be blown back into theroom.

Many attempts in this direction have been made by workersin the industrybut these have met with indifferent'successg to make the weep holessmall enough to resist the tendency of a back flow of the moisture underwind pressure and yet large enough for satisfactory drainage has posed aproblem that has not been completely solved. l

The present invention, however, solves these problems and results in animproved scupper arrangement that is able continuously to drain themoisture from the sill even against great wind pressure but yet preventsthe backing up of the moisture in the sill and possible overflowing intothe room.

'In accordance with the present invention there is provided in the sillof a window a relatively large Weep hole opening which is covered by anoutside flap. This flap freely swings over the weep hole to cover itagainst outside air blowing in but yet, while covering the weep hole,permits water -to drainout from the sill even against great windpressure.

A better understanding of the invention together with a fullerappreciation of its many advantages will best be gained from thefollowing description given in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

Figure 1 is a face view of a portion of a window sill fitted with ascupper arrangement according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken as indicated by lines 2-2 inFigure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-section of the scupper flap taken asindicated by lines 33 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is is an exploded perspective view, somewhat enlarged, of thescupper flap and its mounting hinge plate; and

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the flap taken as indicated by lines 5-5 inFigure 2.

With reference particularly to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown achanneled window sill 12 which may be horizontally mounted on the loweredge of a window opening in a building (not shown). Hinged along avertical line and mounted above the sill is a sash frame 14, which, asseen in Figure 2, is adapted to be swung outward, i.e., away from thesill when the Window is opened. When the Window is closed, frame 14 fitssnugly against the sill as shown.

Sill 12, which is hollow, is provided with one or more large weep holes16 through which water and the like 2,891,290. T Patented June23, 1959can drain to the outside. Each weep hole is positioned low enough on thesill through its vertical wall 18 so that the lower wall 20 of the sillis as high as or higher than the lower edge of the weep hole. To promotethe fiow of water over the front edge of wall 20, it is chamfered at 21along a generally 45 angle. Mounted on the outside of wall 18 in frontof each weep hole is a thin generally but not entirely flat flap 22which is free to swing open, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure3, or closed as shown by the solid lines in Figure 3 and in Figure 2.Flap 22, as seen in Figure 4, is suspended from its top edge by twohorizontal tongues 24 integral with the flap and engaged very loosely inthe two open ends 26 of an upwardly curved lip 28 of the plate 30. Lip28, as seen in Figure 3 has a relatively wide flat inside surface 31from which flap 22 hangs and by virtue of which the flap is urged flushagainst plate 30. When the flap is swung out to the dotted line positionindicated, the square shouldered under faces of tongues 24 move outwardalong the inside surface 31 against the upwardly curved portion of lip28. This increases the tendency of the flap to swing flush against plate30 and permits easy opening and closing of the flap.

Plate 30, shown separately in Figure 4 has a large center opening 32which, when the plate is secured in place on sill wall 18 as seen inFigures 2 and 3, is contiguous and generally coextensive with weep hole16. Just above tongues 24 on flap 22 are two outwardly bent ears 34which by coming against plate 30 limit the outward swinging of the flapto the dotted line position indicated in Figure 3.

Because of the loose engagement of flap tongues 24 withincurved 28, theflap is in effect suspended on a floating hinge. This minimizes thelikelihood of the flap binding in any position and makes the flap lieflush against plate 30 when closed and freely and quickly swinging evenunder extremely light pressures. It'will be appreciated thatthestructure of this hinge and flap arrangement is very simple,moreover, a flap can be fitted over almost any weep hole in an alreadyinstalled window. r l

When a gust of windi blowsagainst the outside bf thetwindow, flap 22will swing closed over weep hole 16 in face to face contact with plate30 and eifectively prevent rain and the like from being blown into theweep hole. To enable water or moisture to drain out from the sill whenflap 22 is closed, the flap is provided with an outwardly bent centersection 36. This section is bent with a taper across its width, as seenin Figure 5, and along its length, as seen in Figure 3. Thus, when theflap is closed there exists a thin tapered opening 38 between the insideface of flap section 36 and the lower portions of plate 30 and sill wall18. Even with high winds blowing against the flap, water will still beable to drain through weep hole 16 and opening 38 to the outside.

The reason or reasons for this phenomenon are not fully understood butit may be due to capillary action of the water within tapered opening 38or it may be due to a Venturi tube effect caused by the wind blowingpast the mouth of this opening. In any event this scupper arrangementprovides a very effective but inexpensive drain for a Window sill andthe like. Liquid flow out from the sill will be allowed even againsthigh winds and when there is no wind, i.e. when the flap is free toswing open, greater quantities of liquid and fairly large objects anddebris can be flushed through the weep hole.

In a weep hole-flap arrangement, substantially identical to thatillustrated herein, which has been built and successfully tested goodwater drainage through tapered ripening 738 "was obtained even in theface o'fwinds as high as 50 knots. The inside bottom edge of flap 22along section 36 as seen in Figure was bent approximately inch out fromthe plane of the flap leaving a inch width for opening 38 at the bottom.Section -36aextended upwardfor approximately half the width of :theffiap. This section was formed simply by bending -flap 22 outward alonga vertical centerline by the -re- :quired amount. Chamfered face '21 wasinclined .at 45 and extended down along the loweredge 'of-opening 32 inplate 30 as shown in Figure .2. The shapes and relative sizes andpositions of the flap, weep hole and ,plate 30 were substantiallyexactly as shown herein.

The above description of the invention isintended in illustration andnot in limitation thereof. Various achanges may occur to those skilledin the art and these may be made without departing from the spirit orscope rot-the. invention asset forth.

, This application is a'continua'tion impart of co pending :application,Serial No. 446,62-7, filed July '29, 1954, :Patent No.2,'827,674,aissued March 25, 1958.

=1 claim:

1. In a window construction the combination of a sill comprisinga bottomwall and anouter vertical wall extending across and substantially normalto said bottom Wall, said'outer-wall being provided with a drain openinghaving its bottom edge defining surface intersecting with and inclinedoutwardly and downwardly from and in draining relation to 'the topsurface'of said bottom wall, and a flap positioned outside of said outerwall to extend across and overlapping edge portions of said opening andhaving a hinge'connection with said outer wall ad- *jacent to saidopening whereby lower edge portions of the flap are free to swingoutside of said outer wall toward and from said opening, said flaphaving a midportion of its lower edge flared outwardly from out of thenormal plane of said flap whereby in'closed position, said lower edgeportion extends across said opening and beyond'the ends of thelower-edge of said inclined edge defining surface of the opening,:and'said flared portion of the flap is spaced from 'said lower edge ofsaid inclined surface to afiord a narrow drain opening of maximum widthat its mid-portion and tapering toward its endsbetween the flap and saidvertical-wall.

2. In a window construction which includes a sill having a bottom walland an outer vertical wall provided with a weep hole for draining waterfrom said bottom wall through said outer vertical wall, the .combinationwith said outer wall of a drainage controlling 'fiap connected to theouter face of said outer wall to swing freely toward and from weep holecovering position, said flap having lateral edge portions which inclosed position of the flap overlap said outer wall at lateral edges ofsaid weep hole, and said flap having at its free end and between saidlateral edge portions an intermediate portion of convex transversesectional contour which in closed position of the flap overlaps thebottom edge of said weep hole, said convex'portion ofthe flap beingarranged and adapted to maintain between said weep hole and said flap,even when the latter is in weep hole covering position under .high windpressure, a drainage opening which varies in effective width from a-maximum at its mid-portion to a minimum at its ends to provide at leastsome effective draining through said weep hole.

3. In a weep hole controlling device for a window construction whereinthe sill has a bottom wall and an outer vertical wall which is providedwith a weep hole for draining water from said bottom wall, thecombination of a base plate attachable to "said outer wall and having anopening arranged and adapted to register with said weep hole, and adraininge controlling .fiap loosely mounted on said base plate to swingfreely 'toward and from weep hole covering aPOsition, said flap havinglateral edge portions which in closed :P'Osition of the flap overlapsaid latera'l edges 'of said base plate opening, said flap having at its.freeend and between said lateral edge portions an intermediate portionofconvex transverse sectional contour which in -closed ,position of theflap overlaps the bottom=edge of said base plate opening, said convexgportion of the flap being arranged and adapted to maintain between saidopening and said flap, even when the latter is in weep hole :coveringposition under high wind pressure, a drainage :passageway of maximumwidth at its mid-portion and tapering toward its ends to provide atleast some effective drainage through said weep hole and said base plateopening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS987,946 'Bugler :Mar. 28, 1911 1,097,879 Reichard May 26, 19.141,451,021 Hanson- Apr. :10, 1923 2,203,753 Strandt June 11, 19402,787,034 Hauek --..Apr. 2, 1957 2,827,674 Hauck "Mar. 25, 1 958

